Sorry to hear Bath Abbey is having ‘issues’ with its revolutionary new under-floor eco-heating system – installed as part of the recent 19 million pound plus Footprint Project.
The first of its kind in the world – the installation operates by heat transfer from the city’s natural thermal waters.
The transference coming via unique ‘ energy blades’ inserted into the original two-thousand year old Roman drain that runs under York Street.
To quote from the Abbey’s website – bathabbey.org – from March 9th 2021…
“Renewable energy firm, isoenergy, has just finished installing a world’s-first heat collection system in the Roman Drain beneath York Street, Bath – the final piece in the puzzle to get the Abbey’s new eco-heating system working.
The work down in the Roman Drain involved installing ten custom-built EnergyBlade heat exchangers that will collect heat from the thermal spring water that flows through the drain from the Roman Baths and down into the river.
Every day there is around 1.1 million litres of hot water flowing through the drain which stays a constant 40°C all year round.
Energy will be extracted from this water to produce enough energy to heat the historic Abbey as well as the adjacent row of Georgian cottages (Kingston Buildings) that house the Abbey offices, Song School and volunteer facilities.”
It’s my understanding the blades efficiency is being affected by the natural sulphur in the water. Although this was anticipated, it is apparently happening much sooner than was expected.
I have emailed Isoenergy – the company who installed this system – via their Western office in Cirencester but not received a reply as yet.
Meanwhile the Abbey’s Executive Director, Frank Mowat told me: ‘We are experiencing some ongoing technical issues with our Energy Blades that we are currently trying to resolve.
These issues however are not impacting on the temperature in the Abbey and we hope to resolve the issue later this month.’
Another blade system was laid in the King’s Bath to heat the Pump Room. I am told the council is not experiencing any issues with them.
For the Abbey to investigate the ‘issues’ they will have to re-open the manhole cover in York Street which gives access to the Roman drain and the blades.
It’s a restricted and environmentally difficult space to work in and local authority ‘permissions’ will have to be obtained before any inspection can take place.
Meanwhile, if the weather turns colder, the congregation and the church’s many visitors have nothing to fear. The underfloor heating will continue via the gas boilers that always operate as part of the system.
The day to day running of the city’s historic parish church is not affected.
Maybe the Abbey engineering was too modern for its own good in this expensive refit. Maybe they need to be less technical and more Roman!
Just as well they’ve got the gas to fall back on! Has anyone told Milliband?